Key Pentagon official to resign at Trump’s request amid Huawei trade spat
WASHINGTON: A key Pentagon official said on Wednesday he would leave his post at President Donald Trump’s request, according to a copy of his resignation letter seen by Reuters, after a battle between government agencies over a bid to crack down on exports to China’s Huawei Technologies Co Ltd.
John Rood, the under secretary of defense for policy, will step down from the Pentagon’s No. 3 job at the end of the month, the Department of Defense said separately in a statement, without offering a reason.
“Mr. President, It’s my understanding…that you requested my resignation,” Rood wrote in the letter, thanking Trump for the privilege of serving and listing key policy achievements, including focusing the DOD “on the growing threat from China.”
The announcement comes a day after Trump pushed back against a move by some officials in key U.S. federal agencies to further limit exports to China, saying national security concerns should not be used as an excuse to stymy sales by U.S. companies abroad.
One of the measures floated involved expanding the government’s ability to block exports to telecom equipment giant Huawei, which was placed on a trade blacklist last year over national security concerns. - Reuters